Methods and apparatus to hold a stack of discs

ABSTRACT

Methods and apparatus to hold a stack of discs are disclosed. An illustrated example disc stack holder is used to hold, move and/or store a stack of annular aircraft brake discs.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

This disclosure relates generally to a holder of a stack of discs and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus to hold, move and/or store a stack of annular aircraft brake discs.

BACKGROUND

The use of carbon-carbon composite brake discs in aircraft brakes, which have been referred to in the art as carbon brakes, is well known in the aerospace industry. Carbon-carbon composite brake discs are manufactured by aircraft wheel and brake manufacturers using a variety of manufacturing methods. These methods generally require lengthy fabrication and densification methods.

In recent years, increasing quantities of carbon-carbon aircraft brake discs have been manufactured by the aircraft wheel and brake manufacturers. For example, a manufacturer can produce annually between fifty thousand to one hundred thousand brake discs. The processing of such large numbers of carbon-carbon aircraft brake discs requires multiple instances of handling the discs, generally, in small groups (e.g., a stack of about thirty discs). A known technique for handling a stack of brake discs utilizes a set of rods that extend through the center openings of the discs in the stack, to lift and move the stack to different locations. However, when the set of rods carrying the stack of brake discs cannot be suspended from a hoist, hook or other device for supporting the rods, the discs must be unloaded for temporary storage and then restacked on the rods for a subsequent movement of the stack. The unloading and restacking of the brake discs as they move through various manufacturing operations results in excessive and wasted handling time that does not add value to the manufacturing of finished brake discs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of an example disc stack holder.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged illustration of a movable plate having a releasable clamp and a selectively operable compression device of the example disc stack holder in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an illustration of the example disc stack holder of FIG. 1 having a stack of discs mounted thereon.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of an example pallet assembly supporting the example disc stack holder of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart representative of an example process or method to utilize the example disc stack holder of FIG. 1 to hold, move and/or store a stack of discs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The example disc stack holders disclosed herein are particularly well-suited for holding, moving, and storing a stack of carbon-carbon composite aircraft brake discs. However, the example disc stack holders disclosed herein may be utilized to hold, move and/or store a stack of various types of discs or articles of manufacture. Therefore, while the examples disclosed herein are described in connection with aircraft brake discs in the aerospace industry, the teachings of this disclosure may also be applicable to a variety of manufacturing or transporting activities for different types of materials in different industries.

FIG. 1 is an illustration of an example disc stack holder 100. The example disc stack holder 100 includes three connectors 102 extending from a top member 104 at an upper disc stack holder end 106. In FIG. 1, the connectors 102 are illustrated in the form of cylindrical rods. Alternatively, a different number (e.g., two, four, etc.) of and/or different shaped (e.g., square, triangular, etc.) connectors 102 may be utilized in the example disc stack holder 100. The connectors 102 each have a laterally extending foot 108 at a lower disc stack holder end 110. At the upper disc stack holder end 106, the connectors 102 each have a laterally extending arm 112 located above an extension ring 114. The extension rings 114 are fixed to the connectors 102.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, annular bosses 116 are located at the top member 104. The bosses 116 define openings 118 that are in communication with openings (not shown) that extend through the top member 104. The connectors 102 extend through and slidably engage the openings 118. The extension rings 114 may engage the annular bosses 116 to limit the distance that the connectors 102 can extend from the top member 104. The top member 104 includes a hoist ring 120 located between the annular bosses 116.

In FIG. 1, a hollow, plate positioning member 122 extends from the top member 104 to proximate the lower disc stack holder end 110. The plate positioning member 122 includes a longitudinally extending interior opening 124. In FIG. 1, the plate positioning member 122 is illustrated in the form of a hollow annular rod. Alternatively, a different shape or form of the positioning member 122 (e.g., such as a square-shaped rod) may be utilized in the example disc stack holder 100. The plate positioning member 122 also includes a guide 126 proximate the lower disc stack holder end 110. The guide 126 of the illustration has a funnel shape. Alternatively, the guide 126 may have various other shapes or forms such as square, triangular, oval, etc.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a movable plate 130 includes openings 132, 134 and 136 each of which receives a respective one of the connectors 102. Although illustrated as a solid, circular movable plate 130, the movable plate 130 may alternatively have other shapes such as square, rectangular, triangular, oval, three prongs, star, etc. The movable plate 130 slidably engages the connectors 102 between the upper and lower disc stack holder ends 106 and 110. A central aperture 138 in the movable plate 130 receives the plate positioning member 122.

A releasable clamp 140 is disposed about the plate positioning member 122. A selectively operable compression device 160 is connected with the movable plate 130, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The releasable clamp 140 includes a hollow annular housing 142 through which extends the plate positioning member 122. The annular housing 142 contains a plurality of engagement rings 144. The rings 144 are biased toward the plate positioning member 122 by a resilient member 146 to thereby wedge the rings 144 against the plate positioning member 122. Each engagement ring 144 has a thumb tab 148 that extends through a recess 149A in a window 149 of the annular housing 142. The annular housing 142 is secured to a mounting plate 150 having a central opening (not shown) through which extends the plate positioning member 122.

In the example of FIG. 2, the selectively operable compression device 160 includes two toggle devices 162 and 164. Each of the toggle devices 162, 164 has a rotatable toggle lever 166 pivotally mounted at a bracket 168. Each toggle device 162, 164 is connected with a toggle pin 169. Each toggle pin 169 extends through a respective mounting plate passage (not shown) defined in the mounting palate 150 and is threadingly received in a threaded opening 139 formed in the plate 130. As shown in FIG. 2, each toggle lever 166 is illustrated in an activated position whereby the substantially horizontal position of the lever 166 results in the toggle pin 169 extending away from the mounting plate 150 to create a separation distance A between the bottom of the mounting plate 150 and the adjacent surface 131 of the movable plate 130. When the toggle lever 166 is changed to a deactivated position, the toggle lever 166 is rotated to a non-horizontal position and the toggle pin 169 retracts toward the bottom of the mounting plate 150 so that the surface 131 of the movable plate 130 is located either closely adjacent or in engagement with the bottom of the mounting plate 150.

FIG. 3 illustrates the example disc stack holder of FIG. 1 having a stack of discs 170 mounted thereon. In the example of FIG. 3, the discs of the stack of discs 170 are annular carbon-carbon composite aircraft brake discs. Each of the discs has a central opening or aperture 171. Initially, the stack of discs 170 is assembled by stacking the individual discs upon a donut-shaped end plate or setter plate 172. The setter plate 172 has an opening 173 defined by an inner diameter rim 175. The bottom disc 174 is separated from the setter plate 172 by a plurality of spacers 176, and each subsequent disc is separated from an adjacent disc by spacers 176.

The disc stack holder 100 is then inserted through the stack of discs 170 by inserting the connectors 102 through the central apertures 171 of the individual discs of the stack of discs 170. At this point, the movable plate 130 is located toward the upper disc stack holder end 106 such that the movable plate 130 may not engage a top disc 178 of the stack of discs 170. Further, the laterally extending feet 108 of the connectors 102 are inwardly directed during this insertion procedure. When the laterally extending feet 108 of the connectors 102 are located below the inner diameter rim 175 of the opening 173 in the setter plate 172, the laterally extending arms 112 at the tops of the connectors 102 are used to manually rotate the connectors 102 so the feet 108 extend radially outward from the plate positioning member 122 and under the rim 175.

After the feet 108 have been rotated to extend below the rim 175 of the setter plate 172, the movable plate 130 is moved into engagement with the spacers 176 on the top disc 178. FIG. 3 illustrates the movable plate 130 engaging the spacers 176 located on the top of the top disc 178. This is accomplished by displacing the thumb tabs 148 of the engagement rings 144 of the releasable clamp 140 away from the recess 149A of the window 149 and against the resilient member 146 (see FIG. 2) so that the engagement rings 144 are not wedged against the plate positioning member 122. The displacement of the rings 144 enables the movable plate 130 to slide along the plate positioning member 122 and into engagement with the spacers 176 located upon the top disc 178. During the sliding movement of the movable plate 130, the toggle levers 166 of the toggle devices 162, 164 are in a deactivated position. Thus, the surface 131 of the movable plate 130 is either closely adjacent or in engagement with the bottom of the mounting plate 150. When the movable plate 130 engages the spacers 176, the annular housing 142 and the attached mounting plate 150 are moved toward the movable plate 130 (if there is any separation between the movable plate 130 and the mounting plate 150) so that the mounting plate 150 engages the movable plate 130. Then the thumb tabs 148 of the rings 144 are released and the rings 144 re-engage the plate positioning member 122 to prevent any movement of the mounting plate 150 and the plate 130 away from the stack of discs 170. The stack of discs 170, thus, is captured or trapped between the movable plate 130 and the setter plate 172 to substantially prevent movement of the discs in the disc stack holder 100.

To further ensure that the stack of discs 170 is securely captured between the movable plate 130 and the setter plate 172, the selectively operable compression device 160 is activated. In particular, each toggle lever 166 is moved to the substantially horizontal position illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. The displacement of the toggle levers 166 cause the corresponding toggle pins 169 to move the movable plate 130 away from the mounting plate 150 by the separation distance A illustrated in FIG. 2. The movement of the movable plate 130 away from the mounting plate 150 applies a compressive force to the stack of discs 170 between the movable plate 130 and the setter-plate 172. Thus, the stack of discs 170 are securely held by the disc stack holder 100.

The disc stack holder 100 of the illustrated example may be moved, set on the floor, and/or stored as a self-contained unit that will not fall or tip over due to the shifting of loose discs in the stack of discs 170. For example, a hoist can be attached to the hoist ring 120 and the disc stack holder 100 moved to another location, set on the floor, and the hoist detached without the disc stack holder 100 falling over due to shifting of the stack of discs 170.

When the stack of discs 170 is to be removed from the disc stack holder 100, the procedures described above are reversed. Each toggle lever 166 is moved to a non-horizontal position to permit the movable plate 130 to move toward the mounting plate 150. This movement of plate 130 reduces or eliminates both the separation distance A and the compressive foce applied to the stack of discs 170. The thumb tabs 148 of the releasable clamp 140 are moved away from the recess 149A of the window 149 to disengage the rings 144 from the plate positioning member 122 and simultaneously release the movable plate 130 for further movement away from the stack of discs 170. After moving the movable plate 130 away from the stack of discs 170, the laterally extending arms 112 of the connectors 102 are rotated so that the feet 108 extend radially inwardly towards the plate positioning member 122. The disc stack holder 100 may then be lifted up and moved away from the stack of discs 170 such that the connectors 102 are extracted from the central apertures 171 of the stack of discs 170.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of an example transport or pallet assembly 200 supporting an example disc stack holder 100 of FIG. 1. The disc stack holder 100 is shown without a stack of discs 170 thereon to better illustrate the engagement of the holder 100 with the pallet assembly 200. The example pallet assembly 200 includes a base 202 from which extends several extensions or stanchions 204. In FIG. 4, the stanchions 204 are illustrated as cylindrical rods extending upwardly from the base 202 to ends 206. Alternatively, different shapes or forms of the stanchions 204 (e.g., such as square-shaped rods or irregular shaped rods) may be utilized in the example pallet assembly 200. As can be readily seen in FIG. 4, one of the stanchions 204 extends upwardly into and is received within the hollow guide 126 and the hollow plate positioning member 122 of an example disc stack holder 100. The presence of the stanchion 204 within the plate positioning member 122 stabilizes the example disc stack holder 100 in the illustrated upright or vertical position upon the pallet assembly 200 shown in FIG. 4.

When an example disc stack holder 100 with a stack of discs 170 (e.g., see FIG. 3) is to be placed upon the example transport or pallet assembly 200, the disc stack holder 100 and stack of discs 170 are lifted and moved by a hoist of other type of transporting device to a position located above and in alignment with an extension or stanchion 204 of the pallet assembly 200. The example disc stack holder 100 is then lowered such that the plate positioning member 122 is directed or guided by the guide 126 to the end 206 of the stanchion 204 which is received within the interior opening 124 of the plate positioning member 122. The end 206 and most of the stanchion 204 are received within the interior opening 124 to position the disc stack holder 100 on the pallet assembly 200.

The pallet assembly 200 with one or more disc stack holders 100 loaded with stacks of discs 170 may be transported by a vehicle) such as a fork-lift truck, to various locations at a manufacturing facility. As desired, a disc stack holder 100 may be removed individually from the pallet assembly 200 for processing of the stack of discs 170 on or off of the disc stack holder 100, or for storage of the stack of discs 170 with or without the disc stack holder 100. In a similar manner, the example pallet assembly 200 with one or more of the example disc stack holders 100 and stacks of discs 170 may be stored until further transport or processing of the discs is desired.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart representative of an example process or method 300 to utilize the example disc stack holder 100 of FIG. 1 to hold, move and/or store a stack of discs 170. Initially, at block 302, a disc stack holder (e.g., the disc stack holder 100 of FIG. 1) is obtained. A movable plate of the disc stack holder (e.g., the movable plate 130 of the disc stack holder 100 in FIGS. 1-4) is displaceable along a plate positioning member (e.g., the plate positioning member 122) located adjacent connectors (e.g., the connectors 102 of the disc stack holder 100) extending between a top member (e.g., the top member 104) and connector feet (e.g., the connector feet 108). The disc stack holder includes a releasable clamp (e.g., the releasable clamp 140 in FIG. 2) and a selectively operable compression device (e.g., the selectively operable compression device 160 having the toggle devices 162 and 164 in FIG. 2). At block 304, a stack of discs (e.g., the stack of discs 170 in FIG. 3) having central apertures (e.g., the central openings or apertures 171) and an end plate (e.g., the end plate or setter plate 172 in FIG. 3), are obtained. The connectors of the disc stack holder (e.g., the connectors 102 of the example disc stack holder 100 in FIGS. 1-4)) are inserted through the apertures (e.g., the apertures 171 of the stack of discs 170 in FIG. 3) and then rotated into engagement with the end plate (e.g., the engagement of the feet 108 of the connectors 102 with the setter plate 172, FIG. 3), (block 306). The releasable clamp (e.g., the releasable clamp 140) is then operated and the movable plate (e.g., the movable plate 130) is displaced to a position adjacent a disc (e.g., the top disc 178 of the stack of discs 170 in FIG. 3) at the upper disc stack holder end opposite the end plate (e.g., the upper disc stack holder end 106 opposite the setter plate 172) to substantially prevent movement of the discs relative to the disc stack holder (e.g., the discs of the stack of discs 170 are prevented from movement relative to the disc stack holder 100 in FIG. 3) (block 308). Then, at block 310, the compression device (e.g., the toggle devices 162 and 164 of the compression device 160 in FIG. 3) is operated to compress the stack of discs (e.g., the stack of discs 170) between the movable plate and the end plate (e.g., the movable plate 130 and the end plate 172 in FIG. 3). If desired, the disc stack holder (e.g., the example disc stack holder 100) may be positioned on a transport assembly (e.g., the pallet assembly 200 in FIG. 4) by guiding the plate positioning member (e.g., the guide 126 guiding the plate positioning member 122) into engagement with a part of the transport assembly (e.g., the plate positioning member receiving a stanchion 204 of the pallet assembly 200 in FIG. 4) block 312.

Although the above example process or method 300 has been described with reference to the flow chart illustrated in FIG. 5, persons of ordinary skill will appreciate that many other methods of utilizing the example disc stack holder may be alternatively used. For example, the order of execution of the blocks may be changed, and/or some of the blocks described may be split, changed, eliminated, or combined.

The example methods and the example disc stack holders disclosed in herein provide advantages over prior methods and holders. For example, a stack of discs 170 may be captured or secured by the example disc stack holder 100 of FIGS. 1-5 so that the stack of discs is 170 substantially self-supporting. The stack of discs 170 are captured or held securely by the releasable clamp 140 between the movable plate 130 and the setter plate 172, and are also compressed by the compression device 160 between the movable plate 130 and the setter plate 172. Thus, the discs of the stack of discs 170 cannot shift relative to one another, and an individual disc stack holder 100 with a stack of discs 170 thereon may be set or stored unsupported by a hoist or other such device.

The example disc stack holder 100 illustrated herein also enables stacks of discs 170 to be transported easily and simultaneously. A disc stack holder 100 with a stack of discs 170 may be mounted or placed upon the example pallet assembly 200 such that a stanchion 204 of the pallet assembly 200 is received in the interior opening 124 of the positioning members 122. The pallet assembly 200 can carry multiple disc stack holders 100. The mounting of each disc stack holder 100 upon a stanchion 204 is aided by the guide 126 which receives and directs the end 206 of the stanchion to the interior opening 124 of the positioning member 122. Each disc stack holder 100 is supported independently by the pallet assembly 200. The pallet assembly 200 and disc stack holders 100 mounted thereon may be moved to various locations for further manufacturing of the discs or stored until required. The disc stack holders 100 may be removed from the pallet assembly 200 for storage or handling, either as individual disc stack holders or as a group, and the necessity of unstacking individual discs for storage or subsequent handling when the holder cannot be suspended by a hoist or other device, and then restacking the discs, is eliminated.

Although certain example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture have been described herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture fairly falling within the scope of the appended claims either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents. 

1. An apparatus to hold discs, comprising: a top member; connectors extending from the top member; a plate positioning member extending from the top member; and a movable plate having a releasable clamp to engage the plate positioning member, and a selectively operable compression device to displace the movable plate to a compressive position.
 2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a guide associated with the plate positioning member.
 3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the guide is generally funnel shaped.
 4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the guide is structured to direct the plate positioning member into engagement with a stanchion.
 5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the stanchion extends from a transport assembly.
 6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the top member is at a first end of the apparatus and the connectors extend to a second end of the apparatus, and the releasable clamp may engage the plate positioning member between the first and second ends.
 7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the plate positioning member extends to proximate the second end and has an associated guide proximate the second end.
 8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selectively operable compression device is connected with the releasable clamp.
 9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the selectively operable compression device includes at least one toggle operated clamp having a rod extending to the movable plate.
 10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movable plate defines a plurality of openings, the connectors and plate positioning member extending through respective ones of the openings.
 11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of discs mounted about the connectors between the movable plate and a lower end of the apparatus.
 12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the connectors includes a foot extending from the connector at a lower end of the apparatus, the at least one of the connectors being rotatable to vary the angular position of the foot.
 13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a plurality of discs compressed between the movable plate and the foot of the at least one of the connectors.
 14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, further comprising an end plate engaged by the foot of the at least one of the connectors.
 15. A method to hold a stack of discs, comprising: inserting a disc stack holder through central apertures in the discs; engaging the disc stack holder with a lower end of the stack of discs; and displacing a movable plate of the disc stack holder to a position adjacent a disc at an upper end of the stack of discs to substantially prevent movement of the discs relative to the disc stack holder.
 16. A method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising compressing the stack of discs between the movable plate and the lower end of the stack of discs.
 17. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein compressing includes operating a toggle clamp to displace the movable plate against the stack of discs.
 18. A method as claimed in claim 15, farther comprising stacking the discs with spacers located between adjacent discs.
 19. A method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising guiding the disc stack holder to a predetermined location on a transport assembly.
 18. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the transport assembly includes an extension to mate with a positioning member of the disc stack holder.
 19. A method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising an end plate at the lower end of the stack of discs, the disc stack holder engaging the end plate.
 20. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the discs are carbon-carbon composite discs. 